Storage tank



May 6, 1930. f w. K. RUSSELLv STORAGE TANK Filed June 15. 1927 Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFica WARREN K. RUSSELL, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES RUSSELL .'BOILER WORKS CO.,*OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- SETTS STORAGE TANK Application filed .Tune 15,

This invention relates t-o storage tanks, such as are employed in large oiiice buildings and elsewhere for the storage of oil and other purposes where tanks of very considerable 5 size are used that are subjected to considerable internal pressure at times, and may also be subjected to external pressure because of a partial vacuum occurring in the interior. The sides, as well as the top, and bottom C of such tanks are commonly made of steel plates riveted or otherwise jointed together by leakproot1 joints, and to prevent buckling of the plates a fairly heavy gage of plate is ordinarily used.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a construction by which great economy may be effected through the use of lighter weight plates, while at the same time avoiding the danger of buckling of the plates un- 3 der external or internal pressure.

IVith this and other objects in view the invention consists, generally speaking, in a construction and arrangement that stiens and reinforces the plates at intervals through 5 the use of a combined Yseries of tie-rods and hollow braces so related that very great stiiiness results so that the tank, when made of thinner than the usual gage of metal, is thoroughly braced and supported against buckling under the strains to which it may be subjected by pressure.

Generally speaking the invention comprises a tank whose opposite side walls are provided with opposite aligned perforations combined with a series of hollow braces whose opposite ends abut against, and are firmly secured to, the portions of the side walls immediately surrounding each pair of perforations, while a series of tie rods, arranged within the perforations, have their projecting ends provided with thrust-sustaining heads or members engaging the exterior surrounding portions of the wall to prevent outward bulging of the plates.

This and other features of the invention will be described in t-he following specification and will be defined in the claims hereto annexed. f

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a simple and convenientiorm of 1927. Serial No. 199,102.

construction and arrangement embodying the principles of this invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a storage tank of the class described, the side walls being partly broken away through the middle portion to permit the showing on a large scale.

Figure 2 is a vertical central section through one of the hollow braces showing the construction by which the side walls are braced against internal and external pressure.

In the practice of this invention, according to the form illustrated in the drawings, a tank, in this case of general rectangular form, is built with side walls l, top 2 and bottom 3, comprising plates of sheet steel or the like tightly joined together at their overlapped edges to providev leakproof joint-s. The speciiic manner in which these plates are joined together is not material, and in the drawings I have shown such joints made tight by the use of short tightening bolts or rivets.

On opposite sides of the tank are arranged a series of pairs ot perforations of a size to allow the passage cfa suitable tie-rod, the

opposite perforations of each pair being aligned to receive a single tie-rod.4

A tubular brace, of a length to reachacross from' one side wall to the opposite'one, is interposed so that its opposite ends abut against the adjacent side wall around a pair of aligned perforations therein. A tie-rod 8 is passed through the two side wall perforations surrounded by the tubular brace, as well as through the tube, such tie-rod being of sufficient length to leave projecting ends extending beyond the exterior faces Vof the side walls.

If desired, spacing washers, as shown at 5, may be inserted in the ends of the hollow braces to secure accurate spacing between the relatively small tie-rod and the surrounding hollow brace, while at the saine time serving to position both ends of the brace preparatory to welding or otherwise securing the ends of the brace to the inner faces of the side walls.

Preferably a Vstiffening disk '7, centrally perforated for the tie-rod, and having somewhat larger diameter than the diameter of the hollow brace, is placed over the projecting end of the tie-rod, and a thrust-supporting head on each end of the tie-rod, as shown at 9, in the form of a nut or head, is enr ployed to prevent outward bulging of the opposite plates.

One of the heads may be integral with the tie-rod and the other in the form of a nut having threaded engagement for drawing the plates firmly against the interior abutting ends of the hollow brace.

To prevent leakage, the seam formed by the ends of the brace in contact with the side walls, may be electrically welded, as indicated at 6, the joints between the stifening plate 7, and the outer face of the side wall, as well as the oint between the head and the stiffening plate, and the hea-d and tie-rod may also be welded together to form a leakproof joint. By thus securing all the parts together a very firm and rigid structure is provided that is capable of withstanding heavy pressure from the inside or from the outside without loosening the seams or permitting the plates to buckle in either direction.

Obviously, with this system of reinforcement, materially thinner plates may be used than if only ordinary tie-rods should be used since the whole structure is rendered very rigid.

What IV claim is:

l. A pressure-tight storage tank whose opposite sides are provided with aligned perforations, tubular braces of substantially larger internal diameter than said perforations interposed between the sides with their opposite ends Welded to said sides around a air of aligned perforations, tie-rods inserted through said tubular braces with their opposite ends projecting through said perforations, thrust-supporting heads secured to the outer ends of said tie-rods, perforated centralizing washers surrounding said tierods and engaging the inside Walls of the braces.

2. A pressure-tight storage tank whose opposite sides are provided with aligned perforations, interior hollow braces interposed between said side walls with their ends abutting against and welded to said side Walls around said perforations, exterior stiffening plates also welded to said side Walls and having perforations aligned with the perforations in the side walls, and tie-rods inserted through said perforations and through the hollow braces, said tie-rods having exterior heads on their outer ends engaging said stiffening plates and serving to clamp said stif fening plates and said braces together against opposite faces of the side Walls, substantially as described.

3. A pressure tight storage tank whose opposite sides are provided with aligning perforations, tubular interior braces of substantially larger internal diameter than said perforations, a tie rod projecting through the aligned perforations concentrically with the tubular brace, a spacing washer having internal engagement with the tie rod and peripheral engagement with the interior of the tubular brace, an external reinforcing plate surrounding the ends of the tie rods that project outside of the tank for supporting the heads of the tie rod, said tubular brace, said reinforcing plate and said tie rod head being welded around their peripheries to unite them integrally with the adjacent wall of the tank.

In witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

WARREN K. RUSSELL. 

